.~~*%&¶### ###¶&%*~~.
..~~*%&¶## ##¶&%*~~..
...~~*%&¶# #¶&%*~~...
....~~*%&¶ ¶&%*~~....
.....~~*%& &%*~~.....
......~~*% ................ %*~~......
.......~~* THE ALVAR FIELDS *~~.......
........~~ %%%##########%%% ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, THIRTY ODD ..........
.......... KILOMETERS. FROM WEST TO EAST, FOUR ..........
.......... THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, ..........
.........~ A FOOT OR TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ~.........
........~~ DUST CAN LINGER. ~~........
.......~~* *~~.......
......~~*% HERE IS EARTH, CLAY, AND STURDY LOW %*~~......
.....~~*%& PLANTS. BUSHES FRAME THE STRIP. THE &%*~~.....
....~~*%&¶ EARTH IS BARE IN PATCHES AS LARGE AS ¶&%*~~....
...~~*%&¶# YOU AND ME. #¶&%*~~...
..~~*%&¶## ##¶&%*~~..
.~~*%&¶### CROSS IT TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ###¶&%*~~.
..~~*%&¶## TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE. ##¶&%*~~..
...~~*%&¶# #¶&%*~~...
....~~*%&¶ ¶&%*~~....
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......~~*% %*~~......
.......~~* *~~.......
........~~ ~~........